BACKGROUND: Twin pregnancies are at increased physiological and psychosocial risks. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of major depression in twin pregnancies and correlate with stress and social support. METHOD: The study included 51 pregnant women under specialized prenatal care who were evaluated by a Portuguese version of the semi-structured questionnaire Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) for Major Depression, and the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile (PPP) for evaluation of stress and social support. RESULTS: Major depression was found in 33.3% of pregnant women, and prevailing symptoms were fatigue or loss of energy (100%), insomnia or hypersomnia (82.4%), changes in appetite (82.4%), decreased interest in daily activities (82.4%), and psychomotor agitation or retardation (82.4%). Among pregnant women who were diagnosed depressive, 76.5% also had a high level of stress and 47.1% complained about lack of social support. Statistical significance was found when correlating depression with perception of negative aspects of having twins and belief in significant body changes during pregnancy (p = .005 and .03, respectively). Marital status, occupation, and pregnancy planning were not significantly associated with the diagnosis of depression. CONCLUSION: Major depression occurs in one-third of pregnant women expecting twins and is associated with higher levels of stress and lack of social support. A multidisciplinary approach in these cases is fundamental to minimize further risks and complications.
BACKGROUND: Twin pregnancies are at increased physiological and psychosocial risks. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of major depression in twin pregnancies and correlate with stress and social support. METHOD: The study included 51 pregnant women under specialized prenatal care who were evaluated by a Portuguese version of the semi-structured questionnaire Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) for Major Depression, and the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile (PPP) for evaluation of stress and social support. RESULTS:Major depression was found in 33.3% of pregnant women, and prevailing symptoms were fatigue or loss of energy (100%), insomnia or hypersomnia (82.4%), changes in appetite (82.4%), decreased interest in daily activities (82.4%), and psychomotor agitation or retardation (82.4%). Among pregnant women who were diagnosed depressive, 76.5% also had a high level of stress and 47.1% complained about lack of social support. Statistical significance was found when correlating depression with perception of negative aspects of having twins and belief in significant body changes during pregnancy (p = .005 and .03, respectively). Marital status, occupation, and pregnancy planning were not significantly associated with the diagnosis of depression. CONCLUSION:Major depression occurs in one-third of pregnant women expecting twins and is associated with higher levels of stress and lack of social support. A multidisciplinary approach in these cases is fundamental to minimize further risks and complications.
Authors: Victoria L Meah; Morgan C Strynadka; Rshmi Khurana; Margie H Davenport Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-04-08 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Estefanía Jurado-García; Alicia Botello-Hermosa; Francisco Javier Fernández-Carrasco; Juan Gómez-Salgado; Nazaret Navas-Rojano; Rosa Casado-Mejía Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-06-03 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Chiara Ionio; Eleonora Mascheroni; Gianluca Lista; Caterina Colombo; Giulia Ciuffo; Marta Landoni; Irene Daniele; Merideth Gattis Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-02-28 Impact factor: 3.390